« Previous 1 2 3 4 … 15 Next »View by:lightboxlistTMA2021.00166; Photograph, "Maybell II" ; Unknown; Boat Builder; "Maybell II"" owned by Maurice "Bub" Monin. Henry Maurice "Bub" Monin joined the Royal Australian Navy, as his father before him, and served on HMAS Shropshire in many theatres during WWII. After the war he decided to move permanently to Nelson Bay and become a professional fisherman like his material grandfather, John “Tally” Asquith. “Bub” worked with his brother-in-law Arthur Asquith and the Tarrant family members on the beaches until 1948 when he bought his first boat “May Bell”. This boat enabled “Bub” to work the wide waters of the Port seine trawling and lobstering until 1962 when the family returned to Sydney for four years. Returning to Nelson Bay in 1967 “Bub” soon joined Ron McLean in a partnership that lasted many years. Due to hard work and some good fortune, particularly lobstering, “Bub” was able to build a new boat - the “May Bell II”, launched at Stockton in 1971. The stem pole came from a tree "Bub" cut down in the bush around Gan Gan. “Bub” worked her in the Hunter River prawning. In 1980 “Maybell II” was sold to a Greek fishing family and was last seen sitting in Sydney’s Black Wattle Bay. ; 1971; Oceania, Australia, New South Wales, Port Stephens; Fishing VesselTMA2021.00149.2; Photograph, "The Craft"; Laman, William and Norman; Boat Builder; "The Craft" built by Bill Laman in Cromarty Bay in 1932. Such was the excellent reputation of Bill as a shipwright many buyers of his boats cae from outside Port Stephens. Bill also built many of the dearly houses i Nelson Bay.; 1932; Oceania, Australia, New South Wales, Port Stephens, Cromarty Bay; Fishing VesselTMA2021.00147; Photograph, "Irene H"; Hyde, Tom and Davis, Frank; Boat Builder; "Irene H" - Fishing Vessel Built by Tom Hyde and Frank Davis with the assistance of Norm Laman.; 1948; Oceania, Australia, New South Wales, Port Stephens; Fishing VesselTMA2021.00145.2; Photograph, "Coweambah"; G.A. Engle and Sons; Shipwright; "Coweambah" – known to locals as “Cowie” built by G.A. Engle and Sons at Tea Gardens was launched in 1919. Skippered mainly by George Davies, the boat ran a service three times a week from Tea Gardens to Newcastle carrying passengers and cargo. She also provided a vital link to the Outer lighthouse keepers and their families on Fingal Island as well as Arthur Murdoch’s shell grit enterprise on the southern side of Fingal Island. The grit was purchased by poultry companies to strengthen the eggshells and use as a cushion when the eggs were packed in boxes and transported). The “Coweambah” was 82 ft 7 in long with a 22 ft 4in beam and was known to pass around the Point Stephens lighthouse into southern-easterly seas, which larger ships were not prepared to do. The slowest voyage, when running into a gale, was ten hours from Point Stephens to Newcastle, a distance of twenty sea miles. On a lighter note, the “Coweambah” also took part in the Annual Mungo Brush Regatta organised by the Port Stephens Regatta Club, ferrying spectators from Buladelah and Bungwahl for the trip to Mungo Brush. In 1943 the “Cowie” was commandeered for the war effort in the Pacific along with a number of other Port Stephens vessels and served in New Guinea with Bill Ripley of Tea Gardens as her skipper. Returning home in 1945 “Coweambah” ran aground during a cyclone in Trial Bay near South West Rocks and became yet another shipwreck statistic on Australia’s East Coast. A detailed description of the foundering of the Coweambah on 11 June 1945 can be found in "Forgotten Fleet 2" p.136-37, Lunney, Bill and Ruth. Forfleet Publishing. ; 1919; Oceania, Australia, New South Wales, Tea Gardens; BoatTMA2021.00140; "Gudgeon" and "The Gardiner" engine ; Unknown; Shipwright; "Gudgeon" a 27 foot launch with a 36hp Gardiner engine. It was bought off the Smiths at South West Rocks by Tim and Barry Sheppard. The "Gudgeon"was aptly named as it sat up on the mud flats. In 1961 the Sheppards took over an oyster lease at Tilligerry Creek after the death of their bother in law, Jack Thompson. Although having no previous experience in the oyster industry, but with the help of other oyster farmers, Harold Diemar, Arch Cromarty and Charlie Ross they soon grew to love the lifestyle that oyster farming provided. The Sheppards left the oyster industry in 2008 following a long 50 year association.; Fishing VesselTMA2021.00187; Photograph, "Psyche" ; Royal Navy, Plymouth, England; Shipwright; The ‘’Psyche’’ was a light cruiser, built in Devonport, England in 1897 and first commissioned in North America. In 1903 the vessel was commissioned for the Australia Station and arrived in Sydney to replace HMS Archer. During WW1 the cruiser took part in the capture of the German protectorate of Samoa and other colonies in the Pacific. In July 1922 the 2135-ton, 314 x 36 ft ‘’Psyche’’ was sold and hulked to Waterside Ship Chandler. She was then employed in Port Stephens as a timber lighter (flat bottomed barge) carrying cargo of Girders and Sleepers until sinking at her mooring in Salamander By in 1940 during a heavy storm. The wreck was used by RAN clearance divers for training between 1950 and 1973 and was later broken up during an underwater demolitions exercise. The remains sit 4.2 metres below sea level, around 200 metres off Roy Wood Reserve. A memorial to the ship was unveiled at Roy Wood Reserve on 27 June 2015. Today the wreck of the ‘’Psyche’’ is searched for by recreational fishermen as the artificial reef has become the home of a myriad of baitfish and large predators, particularly sharks and mulloway. Snapper, bream and longtail tuna have also been caught over the wreck. Reference: https://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-psyche ; 1897; Europe, England, Plymouth; CruiserTMA2021.00171; Photograph, "Barracouta" ; McLeay, Ted and Keith; Boat Builder; "Barracouta" Built by Ted and Keith McLeay ‘’Barracouta’’ was a 27-footer with a Chev 6 hp engine and a 3 bladed propeller. Each year during the Christmas period a Regatta was held at Mungo Brush. It was decided to enter ‘’Barracouta’’ into the Regatta. The brothers thought that she may perform better with a 2-blade propeller however decided that the 3 blade was better. The problem was that in their time trial they had used a 2 bladed propeller, and switched to the 3 bladed one for the final race thus beating the favourite. They did own up to the swap and never raced again!; Oceania, Australia, New South Wales, Port Stephens; Fishing VesselTMA2021.00164; Photograph, "Radium" ; Unknown; Boat Builder; "Radium"LFB #1887 so named because she was dearer than radium. Her owner, Keith Davis, also known as “Young Westy” or “The Crab Man” was considered the undisputed number one crabber in the port. From experience “Westy” knew the seasonal movements of the crabs, their reaction to changes in the wind and water temperature and their behavioural patterns. The original timber ‘’Radium’’ seen here was torn apart in the big seas in 1974 when ‘’Sygna’’* came ashore. “Radium” had been tied up at Hawks Nest where it was considered to be safe, however the huge seas tore the stem out and she was never repaired. The boat’s name was retained for the fibre glass dinghy that followed. *Note: May 26, 1974 a giant storm hit the Newcastle and Port Stephens coastline. Such was the intensity of the storm a big Norwegian bulk carrier called “Sygna” was tossed onto Stockton Beach, leaving much of the rusting hulk to rot there for decades. The gale went down in popular history as “the Sygna storm”. Ref: www.phototimetunnel.com ; 1962; Oceania, Australia, New South Wales, Port Stephens; Fishing VesselTMA2021.00162; Photograph, "Tamboi Queen" ; Asquith, Bob; Boat Builder; "Tamboi Queen” - Built in 1970 by master boat builder, Bob Asquith at his home in Magnus Street, Nelson Bay. It is believed that he built or helped to build many of the 36 foot fishing boats and over 100 dinghies. Bob and his wife, Ruth, used the boat as a pleasure cruiser to accommodate the increasing tourist industry, mainly dolphin watch cruises and also private functions. The Asquith Dynasty: The Asquith family was among the earliest pioneers in the district, considered by some to be the original European fishermen on the northern shore who worked the waters in and around Port Stephens. The first to arrive was Capt. William E. Asquith (1853-1933) and wife Catherine from Pindimar. William and Catherine had seven children including identical twin boys, Thomas “Bowler” Asquith and John “Tally” Asquith. Both fishermen had 11 and 14 children respectively. Every boy in both families became a fisherman and so began the Asquith dynasty of fishermen and boat builders in Port Stephens. ; 1970; Oceania, Australia, New South Wales, Port Stephens, Nelson Bay; CruiserTMA2021.00158; Photograph, "Kingsley" ; Mitchell, Clyde; Boat Builder; ‘‘Kingsley" built by Clyde Mitchell in 1962 had an interesting beginning. Her keel was originally broad axed from a 10 inch X 10 inch blackbutt tree from behind the Bowling Club in Nelson Bay. Left in the scrub where a bushfire charred the keel another had to be sought. A 10 inch X 10 inch turpentine was purchased from Newman Bros. in Buladelah. ; 1962; Oceania, Australia, New South Wales, Port Stephens; Fishing VesselTMA2021.00157; Photograph, "Girl Pat" ; Unknown; Boat Builder; “Girl Pat” was an old converted sailing ship, complete with a centre board and constructed with 1 ¾ inch Oregon planks. She was driven by a 42hp Southern Cross diesel with an 8 hp auxiliary winch engine. Originally owned by a baker from Cessnock, in 1955 the boat had sunk in the mud at the wharf in front of the Boatrowers Hotel in Stockton. She was sold to Colin Mitchell for £200 plus another £200 for the fishing gear. Colin then joined his father, Alf, trawling and prawning in Stockton Bight. However, “Girl Pat” did not have cooking facilities and relied on his father’s boat, “Eileen Sylvia” for cooking the prawns before they were transported to Newcastle. A 16-foot dinghy was towed behind “Girl Pat” for that purpose. In the 1960s an interesting event happened as “Girl Pat” and “Eileen Sylvia” were steaming towards Stockton when they came upon a yacht that was beached on the Fingal Spit and eventually pulled her off the beach. Sometime later they discovered that the sailor, Sam Luxford, an alias, was wanted for bank robbery. He was eventually arrested but never forgot the assistance given to him by the fisherman of Port Stephens, writing to them from his cell in “B” Division, Pentridge, Coburg “When you are sailing past the light house will you kindly think of me”. The Mitchells and "Girl Pat" sailed north to Queensland chasing the more lucrative export dollars. She was finally sold before going down off Keppel Island. ; 1943; Unknown; Fishing VesselTMA2021.00133; "Belona"- Fishing Boat; Bill Grey; Shipwright; "Belona"- Fishing boat owned by Barry Clulow. "Belona"was a 24 foot launch built by Bill Grey at Bulahdelah and driven by a 4 cylinder Bedford Diesel engine. In 1961 Barry Clulow married Marie , daughter of Bowden Evens, oysterman, master boat builder and descendant of Frederick and Charles Evens, the first fishing charter boat owners in Port Stephens. In 1962 Barry joined the oyster industry and set out his first crop of oysters, 1000 sticks, second hand that had washed ashore and so began 50 years in the industry. Forever experimenting the Clulows was the first family company in NSW to adopt Adjustable Long-line Cultivation which proved to be a positive, innovative change in an industry that is forever changing.; 1905; Oceanis, Australia, New South Wales, Bulahdelah; Fishing Vessel
